Nineteenth-Century Albanian Gay Love Songs

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 Transliteration and translation is copyright 1991, Nicholas Zymaris.
 May be used for non-profit purposes if credit is retained.
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(Note: 8-bit diacritical marks are ANSI-compatible; in the event one uses
a different font or code page, the equivalents are as follows:)

ANSI	Equivalent
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á	a'
Ç	upper-case c-cedilla (Ch)
ç	lower-case c-cedilla (ch)
é	e'
	. .
ë	 e
	.,.
:é:	 e
í	i'
ó	o'
ú	u'
’	'  (apostrophe)
“	`` (begin quotation mark)
”	'' (end quotation mark)
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Author: Neçín of Përmet, son of Ali Pasha Frakulli.

Source:  J.G. von Hahn, Albanesische Studien (Jena, 1854), 2.2.142, 2.2.147ff.
(This work is in the public domain)

Translation by Nicholas Zymaris, June 1991, except obscure words, for which I consulted Hahn’s glossary, as well as Gasper Kiçi, Fjalor Shqip-Anglisht, and several Albanians living in Greece in 1991, especially Sokrátis of Elbasán, an Orthodox Christian then living in Megara.

The Albanian text is transliterated into the post-1908 standard Albanian alphabet.

1.
Bajrámit dy herë ndë mot,		Bairam twice a year,
Shyqyr t’i banim Perëndisë,		Let us give thanks to God,
Sot arfa, nesër Bajrám,			Today early-evening, tomorrow Bairam,
Çdo dyllbér le t’na mentójë;		Let every beloved think of us;
Kush të jët Turk më din islak		Whoever is a Turk* with true belief,
Ashíkun le t’a gëzójë.			Let him gratify his lover.

*The term “Turk” was used as a generic word for a Muslim.

2.
Nji dyllbér dullj ndë Vlonë,		A beloved went from Avlona
Erdh’ e kondísi ndë Berát.		He came to and turned at Berat.
Ç’i shkëlqen fáqa si moll’,		How his face shines like an apple!
E si sermája, kur merr savát.		And like silver, when he takes savát**.
Bezisténi ç’ ubán rezíl.		How the marketplace has become contemptible!
Mjéri un’ ç’pásksham thánë.		Poor me, what did I say?
Pa hísë dóla si jetím.			Without an inheritance I remained like an orphan.
Ç’ogradísa me xhanë!			What I suffer with the beautiful!

**Savát refers to silver implements or utensils.

3.
Lúmë kush i ban báhçes’ hysmét,		Lucky is he who cares for his garden,
Vjen nji vaht që çelin’ trandafílat’.	A time is coming when the roses bloom.
Ç’i merr málli për dyllbérat,		How I yearn for the beloveds,
Kur zan’ e këndójn’ bilbilat’.		When the nightingales start to sing.
Tre tamám po bëjn tri vjet,		They’re making three, three full years,
Míshi cop e grim’ utret’,		My flesh dissolved into bits and pieces,
Se i thómi nji fjal’ e s’flet;		For we speak one word to him and he speaks not;
Ç’i ban kam úna i mjéri?		What have I done to him, poor me?

4.
S’gjen ndonji zok qi këndón,		You’ll find no bird that sings,
Të gjith’ janë e po qájnë.		They all sit there [lit., “are”] and cry.
I mjéri ashík sa fort po durón,		The poor lover, how strongly he endures,
Prej dyllbérit po e dájnë.		[For] they separate him from [his] beloved.
  *  *  *					  *  *  *
Dílli, qi len në mëngjés,		The sun, which rises in the morning
Si ti, o djal, kur më zallandíse	[Is] like you, boy, when you are near me.
Kur me kthén syt’ e zes’		When you turn your black eyes to me
Shpirt ment prej kres’ mi gremíse.	You drive me crazy.
					(lit.,“destroy the spirit and mind from my head”)

5.
Ma s’e prítti lótja lótin,		No more does the tear wait for the tear,
Ma s’ún’ po e vuj sevdánë;		No more can I bear Love;
Mynafíkët po kallezójn,			The devils accuse continuously,
Po liftójnë me na dámë.			They keep troubling themselves to separate us.
  *  *  *					  *  *  *
Ju, o qen, mos helmóhi			You dogs! Grieve not,
Sej të kéni Sulljóhen.			For you have my Sullyoh [little Solomon].
Vjen nji vaht që gëzóhi,		A time is coming when you will be glad
Si të bajn fet Morénë.			As you subjugate the Morea.
  *  *  *					  *  *  *
Qysh të gjéj nji mik të mirë		How can I find a good friend
Të më dët si t’a dúa,			To love me as I love him,
T’i dëftéj gjith’ siret,		To tell him all my secrets,
Të qaj báshkë me múa.			To cry together with me.

6.
Të kálli Hasán káfpeja			Hasan, you slanderous whore
Të mos bánish Bajrám,			Who won’t celebrate Bairam,
Se kështú qen’ka bes’e feja.		For thus they were from honor and faith.
  *  *  *					  *  *  *
Núri yt, o Suleimán!			O Suleiman [Solomon], your radiant beauty!
Bukurínë t’a dha Zot yn,		Our Lord has given you beauty,
Mos ubán makrúr.			Don’t become proud.
Tyj, o cun, të púthça syt’,		O that I may kiss your eyes, boy,
E t’udjéksha nur.			And be burned by your radiant beauty.

7.  Excerpts from alphabetical love song from Përmet (also gay), using adapted Greek alphabet of the time.

(Alpha)	Amán se s’të uidís,		Mercy! for it’s not up to you  (?)
	Që ta mundójsh fukuránë.	To torment poor me.

(Beta)	Vétulla më gremís,		Your eyebrows destroy me,
	Kur këthéne e shikon më nj’ ánë. When you turn and glance at me from one side.

(Gamma)	Gója, o jadigjár,		From your mouth, o beloved (?)
	Të rriéth mjált edhé sheqér.	Flow honey and sugar .

(Delta)	Dhámbi margaritár		[Your] pearly teeth
	Më plágët t:é:me ban sehér.	Are poison for my wounds (?)
 ...
(Zeta)	Z:é:mërat’ e zéza		O black hearts
	Që ndriçójnë më dashurit.	Which shine with love!

(H=Eta)	Ep muhavét, o xhan,		Speak to me, O beautiful boy,
	Se núri yt áshkun e sqon.	Because your radiant beauty awakes your  lover [or, fire].